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bombarde32

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Everything posted by bombarde32

  1. I believe Michael Heighway (organ scholar at CCC Oxford) was playing for this gig - at least he got let off the four other services in the Cathedral that day (a rather grumpy Sub organist was heard to say earlier in the day...........)
  2. Greetings to you all from CC Cathedral Oxford, which is where I shall be spending Christmas day until we can get away home to snowy Hampshire. I have got Boxing day off tho'!!
  3. Greetings to you all from CC Cathedral Oxford, which is where I shall be spending Christmas day until we can get away home to snowy Hampshire. I have got Boxing day off tho'!!
  4. They're not likely to get much in the way of donations or enthusiasm adopting that attitude then are they?
  5. Splitting hairs, but according to the Steinway website, they leave Hamburg at A=443 and New York at A=440. Can anyone hear the difference?
  6. I completely agree with you, David. Far better to make the thing playable and enjoyable to play and to listen to in it's current state than to 'restore' it back to a previous (probably doubtful) incarnation.
  7. To be frank, Peartree was a compromise and rather a waste of money. It really bears little resemblance to it's original design. The main stumbling block with all of these 'restorations' is to decide at which point in an organ's life is chosen as the restore point, without compromising the the instrument's ability to play the liturgy effectively. I think that the Peartree 'restoration' failed wholesale in this regard. David Coram is quite right - With Peartree, after the restoration, The action was so heavy that it was really difficult to play - and the action was appallingly variable due (according to the tuner's book) to the different pallet sizes, particularly on the Great. It was almost impossible to play anything fast with any finesse with the Sw/Gt coupler engaged, and the Widor 5th toccata was almost out of the question, and that is silly. It is interesting to note that the present organist has arranged for another organ builder (not the ones who did the rebuild) to considerably modify and 'lighten' the action. It is now certainly lighter than it was, although I don't think it can ever be called good! The church may be proud of the organ, but the incumbent is indifferent to it and the liturgy, resulting in the choir leaving and are now singing with other churches in the Southampton area. Inspite of your rose-tinted rememberances of Peartree, the reality is somewhat different!
  8. Vox Angelicas are not always tuned as celestes, as on some organs they are tuned as on pitch ranks - often there is no other stop with which to 'Celeste' them.
  9. I didn't express any personal views, good or bad, my friend; merely facts.
  10. Romsey Abbey (without the Nave add-on)
  11. David Coram said........."If you put ritual and correctness and proprietry over concerns of humanity, spirituality and community, then perhaps the Freemasons are for you". I do hope that David is not indulging in a bit of Freemason bashing, although it rather looks as if he might. I would like to point out that the Freemasons as an organisation sponsor financially at least one child in virtually EVERY single Cathedral choir in the land............ He might like to wind his neck in at this point.
  12. bombarde32

    Cctv

    I found the system at Portmouth cathedral (Anglican) very good when I played for the services the other Sunday. Having not played the organ before the day, I found the system most congenial ( and the instrument, too, for that matter) with a good range of pan/tilt and zoom. It didn't matter exactly where the choirmaster had positioned his stand, as I could 'navigate' easily to it. The monitor (which 'flips' down from above your head) is clear and neither too small or large. Easily the most sucessful permanent installation I have used.
  13. I do really like that 'Willis' sound with the 17.19.22 mixture - although not so happy (as in some instances) when the WHOLE thing breaks back an entire octave at mid C - 10.12.15 which injects a rather 'challenging' 16' quotient into the chorus. When accurately tuned and with a good solid 8' open supporting it, I find it a most satisfying sound (Truro, St Mary's Southampton etc.)
  14. No way could that ever happen now in that building!
  15. I did a wedding a couple of weeks ago where the Bridal march (sic) was called BRIDLE march! Unbelievable!
  16. Mark, I really loved that hymn. It's the first one I really remember from Sunday School. Looking back, 40 odd years on, it really made me think about the beauty of nature and God in what was a most childlike way. Our music teacher was more interested in our elocution between 'are' and 'our', however!
  17. bombarde32

    Cctv

    I remember MD-ing a production of Little Shop of Horrors in a small theatre with abosolutely no room for the band. We eventually found a place for the keyboards, timps and trumpets in the bar which was good, come curtain down! It worked well though, and those musicians didn't have to dress up!
  18. The Cathedral organ on which I was organist was solid state with a moveable console. It regularly used to act up playing wrong notes and it would select wrong stops also. Pulling the Swell 15th would regularly give the pedal trombone - but playable on the great! The organ has since been completely replaced.
  19. I would be saddened to see Cynic disappear. Now, I have absolutely no idea what prompted his and Mr Mander's upset, but I have always found his posts a good deal more entertaining than some on here, frankly. He has an obvious wide and illuminating experience which I for one am interested to share. I also see little difference from commenting upon the latest Ford Mondeo (for example) than the latest Kia or something on a car website - even a manufacturers one. If something (a pipe organ, a car, a washing machine, an electronic organ) is truly dreadful, British or otherwise, then surely it is often stimulating for others to discuss it - folks may have a different experience of said item, and by providing debate allows interesting and often noteworthy discussion. .....or have I totally missed the point?
  20. As a Trinity/GH and AB accompanist, it is often necessary to photocopy music for the facilitation of page turns, and I have never been pulled up on it.......
  21. .....although the guages usually are wildly inaccurate and give little information as to exactly how far open the shutters actually are!
  22. bombarde32

    Cctv

    I have used a small B/W door entry camera (B&Q - about 20 quid) mounted on a microphone stand with an existing old computer monitor for this very job. Works a treat!
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